Flexible Evaporator Coil For Application of Cold Directly to Unevenly Shaped Objects (formerly Refrigerated Head Gear for Super Cold Therapy)

Abstract

A flexible and pliable evaporator coil embedded in freezer gel and surrounded by a flexible enclosure. In its warm state, the evaporator coil / gel enclosure can be fitted around a variety of shapes such as legs, arms, heads, or devices requiring cold or super cold in direct surface contact. The evaporator coil is designed to be connected directly to a traditional refrigeration system employing refrigerant, a compressor, and condenser coil.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE[0001]McKay #U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,470[0002]Tremblay #U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,579[0003]Fronda #U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,581[0004]Truelock #U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,446 Leong, et.al. #U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,234[0005]Lee, Carole NUS2002 / 0058976 A1[0006]Culp #U.S. Pat. No. 2,158,571Inventors: Thomas B. Smiley, Christine L. Smiley Carlsbad, Calif.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0007]The application of cold directly to an object or to the human body for purposes of healing or convenience is well known and in wide practice. In all cases this is done either with the circulation of chilled water, circulation of chilled air, or direct application of freezer gels which have been pre-chilled and then placed directly on the body part or object to be chilled.[0008]This has proven to be an imperfect process in many ways. Circulation of chilled air cannot provide temperatures low enough to accomplish the objectives in many cases, chilled water similarly cannot transfer enough heat out to be effective enou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]In an effort to apply very cold therapy to the skull for the purpose of reducing hair loss during chemotherapy, pre-frozen gel filled caps have been employed with some success.

[0013]The reason this is successful is that chemotherapy drugs kill fast growth cells and, hair follicles which are fast growth cells, are then almost immediately lost. Chilling the skull down to −20 degrees C. (−4 deg F) during chemotherapy, and for a period after treatment, reduces blood flow to the skull thereby reducing or eliminating absorption of the drugs into those hair follicles.

[0016]Similarly to hair loss prevention, applying cold directly to an arm or leg, or other body part is very effective in promoting healing and pain reduction. Professional athletes, as well as weekend athletes, when experiencing muscle injury, must wrap themselves in ice packs or sit with an ice chest which is connected to a pump that moves ice (carrier medium) across the limb. These are cumbersome, inexact in the amount of cold they deliver, and require replenishment. Our invention solves this problem and has the added advantage of changing from hot to cold by reversing the direction of the refrigerant so that the flexible (evaporator) coil becomes the condenser and the rigid (condenser) becomes the cold evaporator coil.Specific Application #3—Beverage Cooling

[0017]Kegs of beer are best maintained within a narrow range of temperature to assure freshness and quality. In the case of tailgate parties they can either be wrapped in insulating blankets, placed in an appropriately sized refrigerator which will operate from 12v DC provided by a vehicle, or placed in a tub of ice. These methods are cumbersome for the user, and inexact in their ability to control the temperature. The described flexible evaporator coil invention, when appropriately sized and wrapped around a keg of beer, more efficiently keeps the keg cold, is more portable, and lighter than a fully enclosed small refrigerator, and further will consume less space.

Problems solved by technology

This has proven to be an imperfect process in many ways.

Circulation of chilled air cannot provide temperatures low enough to accomplish the objectives in many cases, chilled water similarly cannot transfer enough heat out to be effective enough for many purposes, and freezer gels must be changed often to maintain the desired cold temperature of the objective.

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